The Olympic Games
by Lily Hanson
Summary: Oneshot that follows A Better Life - Kevin's dreams of competing in the 2012 Olympics are officially unattainable. How will the other Samurai help him through it?


Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers: (Super) Samurai. This is purely fan-made.

Watching the Olympics play on TV was bittersweet for Kevin. On one hand, it was hard to do, and most of the time Kevin wanted to throw the remote at the TV and walk away in anger. His dream of swimming in the Olympics, of getting up on the podium and feeling the weight of the gold medal as it hung around his neck had been shattered. Now, he had to watch as others, some were friends of his, stood in his place, taking home bronze, silver, and gold. Unlike the other Samurai, who had to put their dreams on pause – this was it for him. Come 2016, Kevin wasn't sure he would qualify. He hadn't been training in the water like he should have been, and he would be too old, reaching the end of his twenties. He knew he could try, but the odds weren't in his favour.

On the other hand, being a Samurai was amazing, and like the Olympics it was truly a once in a lifetime experience. On top of that, his Samurai life had led him to Mia, whom he wouldn't trade for all the gold medals in the world.

It still hurt. As he watched Team USA bring home more medals, both gold and silver, he let out a sigh. It was too bad he couldn't have it all.

Just outside the common room, Mia watched him sadly. She knew how hard this was for him. She spent many nights talking to him about it and getting him to focus on everything good that had come to him that he never would have known about had he gone to the Olympics. But there still had to be something she could do for him. He was helping her dream come true. Hell, with him in the picture, her reality was even better than her dream. She needed to help him.

"Emy," she whispered as the yellow Ranger walked by, "How are you feeling?"

"I look worse than I feel," Emily gestured to her bruises and scars, which were the consequences of running out on to the road and being hit by a car. Fortunately, she had left the hospital with very minor injuries compared to what could have happened.

"Do you want to help me with something?"

"Depends on what it is."

Mia whispered in her ear. A smile lit up Emily's face as she raced down the hall.

"Mike! Mike!" she cried out excitedly, nearly sliding into the walls as she turned the corners, "Come help us!"

-Samurai-

World records were being set. Kevin wanted to jump into a pool and time himself. He wanted to compare his speed to the speed of the champions. At the same time, he wanted to stay as far away from the water and a stopwatch as he could. If he did time himself and saw he wouldn't beat them, then he would know he had chosen the right path. There was no point throwing away everything he had now if he wasn't going to win or do something memorable at the Olympics. On the other hand, if he did beat one of the leader's times, if he saw he could have won, he would only hurt himself more. He would have been able to do it, and could have achieved his dream. He would forever have to live with a bit of regret in his heart.

Suddenly he bounced slightly on the couch as someone sat down next to him. He looked over and saw it was Serena. She watched TV for a moment, smiling as another American brought home a medal, and then she reached for the remote and turned it off.

"You know, sometimes fate intervenes to put you on the right path."

Kevin shook his head, "I know I'm on the right path. I just wish I could have… detoured, a bit."

"Trust me; your life is working out exactly how you need it too. Don't go changing because you think it'll make you happier. You could wind up losing everything."

"You think?"

"I know," Serena nodded her head and then held up her hand to start counting on her fingers, "You're a hero – a true hero. You work just as hard as those Olympians, and you do good for hundreds, maybe thousands of people every day. You help so many people in need. You should feel good about yourself."

"I do."

"You have an amazing, supportive family, both back home and right here. Everyone you have in your life now would put the world on hold for you to live out your dreams. We all know it's not easy for you, and we respect the hell out of you for keeping your priorities in check."

"Thanks, Serena, but…"

"And, I don't think I have to tell you this, but I will. You have the most amazing fiancée on the face of the planet."

"Serena…"

"Ah, ah, ah," Serena shook her head and took Kevin's hand. She pulled him up from the couch, "Come with me."

"I don't think I have a choice," Kevin chuckled. Serena led him to his bedroom, where his swimsuit, his cap, and his goggles were waiting for him on his bed. He looked to them longingly and then shook his head. "I don't want to know if I could have won."

"I don't care what people in London are doing," Serena answered and started for the door, "Just get those on and then join us outside."

"Why?"

"Bonding exercise."

Kevin let out a little smile as Serena walked out. He got changed into his swimsuit and then slipped on a pair of track pants and a jacket over top. He knew he was supposed to be ready for a swim, but he wasn't going to walk around half-naked. Knowing some of the residents of the Shiba House, this was a huge prank. When he was ready, he stepped outside.

He had no idea what had happened to the front yard, but he could barely recognize it. Instead of being a training ground for the Samurai, it had turned into a smaller version of the Olympics. There was a pool off to the left side, the mat had been left cleared for gymnastics, a beam had been constructed from wood for balance, there was a volleyball court, and finally, around the entire yard, a track for running. His eyes welled up with tears. He knew instantly what they had done for him.

"You guys…"

"I know it's not London," Mia walked up to him and took his hand, "but if we can't get you to the Olympics, why can't we bring the Olympics to you?"

Kevin choked up. He couldn't bring himself to say anything. He just pulled Mia into his arms and hugged her tight. It wasn't London. It wasn't a world stage.

It was better.

"Dude, save the tears for when I beat you in the pool," Mike teased, "but first: the sprint."

"We drew names from a hat," Jayden explained, "You and Emily are first to race. Winner moves on to the next round."

"Eat my dust, Kevin!" Emily cried as she ran over to the starting line, already full of energy. Kevin looked to her, and then back to Mia. He pulled her in for a deep kiss.

"Thank you, Mia. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"If I didn't, I wouldn't have done this."

"C'mon, water boy!" Emily called from the finish line as she bounced in excitement. "Stop making out with your cheerleader. I wanna win this thing before sundown."

"We gave her a few extra cookies. The extra energy will make up for the bruises. The race is still fair."

"Fair? You know that's Emily, right? The firecracker. The only way this could be less fair was if you had me racing against Antonio."

"You better hope we meet in the finals," Antonio gave Kevin a playful dirty look. Kevin smiled and then stood next to Emily at the starting line. When they were both ready, Ji called for the start of the race.

As Kevin expected, he didn't stand a chance. Emily took off, racing once around the yard, leaving Kevin in her dust. She qualified herself for the next round, where she would face off the winner between Mike and Serena. Kevin, right off the bat, was eliminated from his first ever Olympic competition.

But he couldn't be happier.

-Samurai-

The games continued for the rest of the day. Antonio, as expected, had won gold for sprinting, with Emily second and Mike in third. After that it was volleyball, where Kevin's team, which consisted of Mia, Ji, and Jayden won by an incredible lead. Then came the gymnastics, where Mia and Serena dominated on the floor and on the balance beam, and Jayden coming in third both times (though barely winning over Mike).

Finally, the last event of the day – what Kevin had been waiting for his entire life – swimming.

The other Samurai didn't know much about the sport. To them, a bunch of people jumped into the water, swam back and forth until the competition was over and the people who won first, second, and third got the medals. Their version of the Olympic event was different from what Kevin had always had in mind, but none the less, it was amazing.

Kevin was in the pool and he would be swimming against Serena, Mike, and Antonio. He was the sure winner, considering he was the only one with true experience in the sport, but it still felt like a real competition to him. He felt like he was at the Olympics and as he adjusted his goggles and cap, he remembered what his father had told him.

"_Your true competitor is yourself."_

It didn't matter who he raced against or how fast he could go. It did matter what place he finished in. All that matter was whether he could outdo himself and if he was happy with himself.

And, above all that, if he had fun. There was no point winning if he didn't have fun.

"Ready," Ji called out as the Samurai in the water prepared themselves for the race, while their coaches, who would act more like cheerleaders, stood behind them.

"Go!" Emily shouted and the Samurai jumped in the water. Antonio landed hard on his stomach, crippling him for the first couple of seconds and putting him in dead last. Jayden continued to cheer him on though.

Kevin had the early lead and he held onto it the whole way through. Back and forth, from one side to the other, he swam like he knew he would if he had been in London. His technique was a little sloppy, and he knew he was slower than what he could have been had he not quit his training, but he was still having fun. When he finally touched the wall, taking first place, he looked up at Mia.

"Seriously, you have no idea what this means."

Mia gave him a glowing smile and then pulled a medal out of her pocket. Up until now, the winners had all gotten cheap, plastic medals that could be bought at the dollar store. The one Mia held out for Kevin wasn't plastic. It was real gold. He reached out to touch it and read what had been engraved.

_2012 Swimming Champion_

"Mia…"

She put the medal around his neck, "It's not the real thing, and it was a bitch to find last-minute …"

He interrupted her as he pulled her down for another kiss. After today, he really felt like a winner. He had a gold medal around his neck from the Olympics, he had an amazing family, and an even more amazing fiancée.

A scream and a splash pulled him away from Mia though as water showered over both of them. They turned and looked over to see Mike, Antonio, and Jayden had all gotten together to toss Emily into the pool. She rose to the surface, spitting water from her mouth.

"Not cool!"

Storm, seeing Emily being thrown into the water, ran out to her rescue. She was barking madly, but would only go after Mike.

"I wasn't the only one who did it!" Mike started to run away from the dog. As Kevin watched, he remembered the number one rule of the pool.

"Mike, no run…" before he could say it, Mike slipped and fell into the water, splashing Kevin and Mia once more while Emily laughed uncontrollably.

Kevin decided he would do the same and grabbed Mia's arm. Her eyes widened, but she realized too late what he wanted to do. Fully clothes, she was pulled into the pool and then into Kevin's arms. He looked down at her, wearing the biggest smile she had ever seen on him.

"I love you."

She smiled back and nodded her head, "I love you too."


End file.
